Leading Denver Marijuana Company Wants Naming Rights For Broncos Stadium

Broncos' Peyton Manning walks off the field after defeating the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 24, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A leading marijuana company in Denver has put in a bid for the Broncos stadium naming rights.

O.penVAPE, a vaporizer and cannabis oil company, submitted a proposal to partner with the Metropolitan Football Stadium District to sponsor the stadium. The Broncos might need new naming rights for Sports Authority Field at Mile High after Sports Authority recently announced it filed for bankruptcy. The marijuana company is hoping to rename the stadium O.penVAPE at Mile High.

“We’re a rapidly growing global business, and we see the opportunity to align two iconic winning Colorado brands to reflect our state’s pioneering spirit and heritage,” Jeremy Heidl, O.penVAPE’s chief operating officer, said in a statement. “Our company produces much more than innovative vape pens, and we intend to drive awareness around the use of CBD products as an alternative treatment for pain and other medical conditions, an issue specifically relevant to the NFL.”

The company’s proposal states it has the financial means “to assume the obligations of the current naming agreement.”

Sports Authority bought the naming rights to the stadium in 2011 and currently pays $6 million per year for the naming rights. The deal was set to run through the 2021 season.

The company said that the collaboration with former NFL player Lance Johnstone, who is a spokesman for the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition, helped to lead O.penVAPE to make a bid.

“The NFL has the opportunity to be a leader in the sports industry to address pain management,” Johnstone said. “I believe many active and retired players would appreciate working with O.penVAPE to support scientific research, dispel the stigmas of using cannabis and provide safer treatment alternatives to league players.”